Working with the technology of sound recording and playback, people soon discovered that they could create entirely new sounds. By manipulating the electrical signal sent to a loudspeaker, sounds that had never existed before came to life. The loudspeaker became part of an instrument itself.
A Generated Sound
Generated sounds are made with the help of technical equipment, for example, a computer.
Listen
What you just heard is a generated sound. Generated sounds are used in Electronic Music. You might have come across generated sounds in many situations in your life. And it is very likely that you will have heard music using these sounds.
Uncovering the Ingredients of Sound
With the help of electronic technology, it was possible to examine how sounds worked. Scientists investigated the basic properties of sound and then created electrical circuits which could reproduce and create new sounds. They used oscilloscopes (a piece of equipment that displays soundwaves on a visual screen) to view the soundwaves:
Building New Sounds
Inside nearly all electronic instruments is an electrical part called an oscillator. These create a signal wave which moves back and forth (the wave can be described as oscillating). Almost any electrical device that produces its own sound will contain an oscillator. These oscillating electrical signals are then fed to a loudspeaker and are converted into soundwaves:
By controlling the electronic oscillator, it is possible to create sounds of different pitch, loudness and duration. While different types of oscillators will create sounds that have a different timbre. By combining individual, basic soundwaves, it is possible to create an unlimited number of new sonic textures.
New Instruments
Many early electronic instruments were extensions to existing acoustic instruments (e.g. the electric guitar) but other brand new instruments were soon invented. Find out more by reading below:
Theremin
One of the first new musical instruments was the theremin. The theremin is performed without being touched by the performer. It has two antennae, one to control pitch (usually a straight metal pole) and one to control volume (usually a curved metal loop).
When the performer moves towards the antennae, their body interacts with the electronic circuitry to produce a sound.
The smooth electronic sounds of the theremin have been very popular wherever composers have needed to create a sense of mystery (for example, in science fiction films and in crime and mystery dramas).
Extra
If you have some electrical components, it is possible for you to make your own theremin using an empty drinks can! Build Your Own Theremin: Instructions
Sudophone
The sudophone is a more recent instrument, invented in the 2000s, but using basic electronic technology. When playing the instrument, the performer becomes part of the electronic circuit themselves!
The pitch of the instrument is controlled by squeezing the bolt and the tin, which changes the flow of electricity in the circuit (and through the performer!!!).
Activity
If you know someone who is able to solder electronics, then you can build your own sudophone.All the instructions, and a list of all the parts that you might need, are available on the inventors website: Sudophone Instructions. TAKE CARE: The soldering process uses very high temperatures.
Oramics Machine
The Oramics machine was designed and built by the composer and musician Daphne Oram in 1959. It was not a live performance instrument (like the theremin or sudophone), but allowed sounds to be created directly from their basic parameters.
Daphne Oram demonstrates the Oramics machine
A recording from the mid 1960s in which Daphne Oram talks about the Oramics machine and plays some sound examples. The composer would draw patterns and shapes onto glass plates and celluloid film, which controlled the various parameters of the sound. The shapes of these patterns directly affected and controlled the sounds that were generated.
Extra
Programmers have created a version of the Oramics machine for iPhone and iPad. Download and draw your very own sounds, or even compose a whole piece! Click here to access the Oramics Machine App.
